Karrlund

  I was confused. The longer I thought the more confused I got. Pavolia said I was confused because I was finally learning how to think. I decided after that comment that I probably shouldn't tell her why I was confused. Feyre might be alive. That's what my gut told me. There was no proof, no reason, and certainly no way to find out... Yet I felt, deep down that she still lived. Or did I? Was I feeling bad because she'd died after I'd promised to protect her? Maybe I was just going crazy from guilt or something, I mean, truly? Why did I think Feyre could survive when Lucius couldn't?

  Shaking my head again, I stood up to try and find something to busy myself with. Useless thoughts and questions could wait until after I had fulfilled my role in the camp. The camp was lively, it always had chatter and talking, but rarely this much laughing. It's hard to laugh like this when your bedroll is filled with bugs and your feet falling off from walking too much.

  I quickly found a couple guys struggling with their tent, apparently the 'bloody thing is broken' but I could tell they were all just really really mouse bummed.

  Feyre

  A Kuryuk got too close to my hiding spot so I swung at her throat, cleanly cutting through with the sword I wielded. After that, I scampered to another hiding place, putting the corpse in my inventory as soon as possible. Not a moment later the Stalagmite I was behind just moments ago exploded into sharp shards of rock as the big one swung her club. I stifled a hiss of pain by clamping my hands over my mouth as a single shard embedded itself in my calf. White hot fiery agony shot up my leg and stayed there until I gathered the will to look down and saw the thing lodged deep.

  Attempting to move the leg, I realised that it was directly in worst spot it could possibly be. If I moved too much it would also slice the inside of my knee. In order to make sure that didn't happen I reached down and got a firm and stable grip with one hand. The other hand stayed clamped over my mouth. Then I wrenched it out, the sound escaping my lips being a whimper at most. Unfortunately, that was loud enough for the big one to know where I was, so I had to dive for more cover before her club slammed into the stalagmite.

  This time I made sure that I was at such an angle that the shards wouldn't hit me. Although, if the Kuryuk or the big one had any sort of sense of smell or blood tracking skill my hiding now will be useless.

  [System]

  [Active Skill: [Sneak] has been acquired by staying hidden from hostiles for twenty minutes.]

  [Passive Skill: [Stalagmite Hugger] has been acquired by being in contact with a stalagmite for over 7 minutes.]

  I stared and dismissed the message temporarily. I would much prefer a skill to stop the bleeding. I wondered what my status showed right now when it came to HP. Briefly wrenching my attention away from my marvellous self, I peered around the stalagmite and saw the nearest Kuryuk looking the other way, its massive ear blocking its eyes from seeing me approach behind it and then decapitate it like its fellows.

  Now all that remained was the big one. I was surprised this had worked so well, other than the start obviously, but had no idea on how to fight the big one. So I did what any good gamer would do, I threw a Kuryuk machete at it and hid. The big one proceeded to smash another stalagmite and I returned the scimitar to the inventory. Then I opened it and launched it at the big one again. This only worked twice before it started swatting the projectiles out of the sky as they came.

  It was annoying really, bleeding out while desperately trying to fight the big one. Eventually, she would have gotten the right stalagmite and I would have been a nice blood puddle called Feyre. I wasn't going to just let that happen though, so I grit my teeth, grabbed a machete from the storage, and shuffled to the entrance that the Kuryuk and big one were guarding. It made too much sound for my liking but the big one was too busy smashing rock pillars, stalactites, and stalagmites to hear.

  Looking up showed me that the wild swinging of the big one had all but brought this cavern down, the pillars of rock that had acted to keep the roof from caving down now shattered and not doing their jobs. I crawled backwards some more, before I started launching machetes and Kuryuk bodies at the remaining pillars.

  They obviously did no damage, but the big one wasn't very smart and so it swung at every sound. Its swings did damage the pillars, of course. I scowled at the ceiling as it didn't collapse like I'd wanted and added a lot of the rocks, shards and other pieces of debris into my inventory.

  I suddenly had an idea that I wanted to test and so tried to open the inventory inside the big one. It failed, opening in the next available space not inside the big one's skull. At point blank I released a pretty big chunk of rock, which harmlessly shattered on the big one's thick head and fell to the ground.

  "Shit." That was all I could say, really. That massive one turned to look at where the portal was, it's eyes boring into my storage like it had called the guy's mother a Homewrecker or something.

  A raised club, an angry big girl, two pillars remaining, and basically no cover left for me to hide behind. I couldn't see any way of this going right, let alone well. Furthermore, the big gal decided to finally grow a brain, and had stopped swinging at the slightest of sounds. This resulted in my frankly idiotic decision to run out into the open and lure it with live bait. Because that could never go wrong could it?

  I scrambled from my current hiding place to get in front of a pillar. This was a terrible and stupid plan that I had made up in a fit of adrenaline panic, adrenaline I could now hear roaring in my ears or something along those lines. It was strange, but only for moment I couldn't feel pain. At all. None. Zilch. Nada. Nothing. And I loved it. It gave me time to think about what to do once the huge Kuryuk in front of me decided to swing.

  My answer was dive. And like the idiotic genius I am, I decided that diving into and hopefully under the Kuryuk would be a better idea than diving away. Great job me, I thought as I launched right at the main threat to my existence in this moment.

  ...

  It worked, somehow. I landed on my chest and grunted, I groaned as I looked up. and instantly regretted it. The big Kuryuk can apparently get fungi infections, good to know, hopefully between the legs was a weak point for them as much as it was for us... I felt sick to my stomach and an intense urge to start hurling up my guts took me by force.

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  "Great! I can handle murder basically fine but I can't handle some over grown mushroom coming from a monster trying to kill me!? What sort of mind warping did you even do!? Desensitise me or don't stop taking a middle ground you lazy a-" I stopped my tirade when the massive Kuryuk turned back to look at me, covered in dust and stone.

  I was very glad for adrenaline, and maybe also that [Grit Your Teeth] passive that was helping me. Running to the final pillar left I started shouting every obscenity I could imagine and also some that definitely aren't real but I meant them to be insulting and so they were. The big guy was infuriated, this got worse when I opened my inventory underneath him and out launched the sharpest rocks and shards.

  Yep, definitely a weak point... that got it very angry. It swung at insanely high speeds for something that big, this time I dived to the ground, and towards the edge of the cavern. A good idea apparently because according to some magic the ceiling didn't collapse until the last pillar was gone.

  "Super realistic... You can tell this world influenced a game or was influenced by one. Rule of cool huh?

  Crash. Crack. Crumble. Replied the world as the entire mountain seemed to fall into the cavern, my stupid self still in it. That door I'd seen earlier suddenly felt really really appealing. So I ran to it, getting domed a couple times by falling rocks.

  "Stupid, stupid stupid! What sort of idiot comes up with a plan to bring down a cave while they're still inside it!? Ow!"

  I made it, somehow. I bent over to pick up my sword which had skittered over here and as my adrenaline wore off I realised just how much pain I actually was in. Those rocks which had hit my head were annoying but the intense searing pain in my calf was nigh unbearable.

  Stumbling through the now very much unguarded door, I turned to look at the way back. Or well, the lack thereof thanks to yours truly angering a giant Kuryuk beyond reasonable levels. I hope there isn't an HR for the Kuryuk and other related species... I would so get flamed for this.

  Speaking of the giant. It was all but pinned under a nasty looking Stalactite. I don't know if it was fate or something else that had meant that the massive creature had gotten hit right in the small of it's back, impaled and likely paralysed. If it hadn't been trying to turn me into a fine mist of Feyre scented giblets and other stuff earlier I would've felt bad. I think I would've anyway. I couldn't tell with all this mental manipulation i was being put through.

  What I did know, however, was that I couldn't afford this guy getting out. So, as the ceiling has basically fully collapsed now... I did what any sane person in my position would do. I started putting literally everything that I physically could into my inventory. Lots of large boulders and rocks and a ton of small and sharp shards and stones. Not only that but I also managed to swipe all of the weapons (including the club).

  "Wait... could I have just... taken the club? Uuuggghhhh..."

  I'm not sure how I managed to push through the searing pain of my calf begging for me to stop putting pressure on it... but I did and that's what mattered. I walked over to the massive Kuryuk, I didn't actually know whether it was a Kuryuk but... well... It looked the same and I wasn't going to suddenly come up with a new name for it when I'd just been referring to it as Big One or Big Gal this whole fight in my monologues.

  Smiling apologetically I pull out one of the Kuryuk's machetes again, and stab the thing in the eye. I move to the other side, and repeat. It's screams are inhuman, obviously, and I feel little except maybe a bit of disgust. I force it to keep it's mouth open by taking out a pretty large stalagmite that had been knocked over and basically using it as a beam not unlike how those columns were being used for the cavern. I felt a bit cruel but I didn't trust it not to try something as a last ditch effort. I willed the inventory to open just below where I assumed it's brain would be if it had a similar makeup to humans. A long and thin shard of rock launched up.

  [System]

  [You have slain a [Brawler] [Kuryuk] Level 13]

  [You have slain a [Warrior] [Kuryuk] Level 12]

  [You have slain a [Assaulter] [Kuryuk] Level 9]

  [You have slain a [Thief] [Kuryuk] Level 20]

  [You have slain a [Gate Guard] [Kuryuk] Level 11]

  [You have slain a [Deadbeat] [Kuryuk] Level 11]

  [You have slain a [Petty Warlord] [Karyok] Level 33]

  [EXP gained = 880]

  [You have killed a Monster as an Otherworlder]

  [EXP gained = 50]

  [Class and Race experience being divided 9:1]

  [Class Level Up!]

  [Wayfaring Knight has reached Level: 19 (7/95)]

  [Stat Bonuses have been Awarded.]

  [Race Level Up!]

  [You are now Level 34 (53/170)]

  [You have earned a Title!]

  [Title: "Kuryuk Slayer"]

  [The Title "Kuryuk Slayer" is available to be Equipped]

  [The Title "Kuryuk Slayer": For every Kuryuk Slain gain a bonus of +3 to all stats while within 20 meters of a Kuryuk or evolution.]

  I stared at some of the notifications in shock. On the other hand... My stats had updated! Finally, finally, finally! I decided that I would wait to look at them, saving that for another time. It was time to advance in this dungeon and actually progress past this wooden door.

  I stepped through it and continued along the ensuing corridor. It was a lot less rough here, still a cave, but it was wide, there was wooden arches, torches in mined out alcoves, and a ceiling that a Karyok could fit through comfortably. I felt paranoid just... walking down the corridor so I took out the sword and slowed my pace, trying to sneak a little bit.

  After what felt like an eternity walking through this tunnel, I made it to something interesting. a diverging of paths. Five of them in fact. So I did what any sane, idiotic genius would do. I went down a random one.

  [System]

  [Dungeon Notice: Tier 3 Dungeon [The Goblin Kingdom of Iftania], Dungeon Quests have been updated. Dungeon Quests [Kill the Kuryuk's King 0/1 and Kill the Kuryuk's Elders 0/12 and Clear the Dungeon 0/1] and Kill the Lord of Druatari "Grenmi of the Gallows" 0/1.]

  [Notice: Since you are the only living party member in the dungeon and a 4th evolution Druatari Lord is present, System Quest difficulty tier has increased to [Impossible]. Quest rewards will be scaled to the difficulty of the Quest. P.S - Get out of there as quickly as possible. The Difficulty has that name for a reason.]

  "I can't run... The cave... well... caved in... you know?"

  I could feel a slight shiver at the very deepest marrow of my bones. Impossible? Truly? Wasn't that basically just the world telling me I was doomed? I sighed and took a singular step forwards.

  Well well well... Aren't you just... fascinating? Almost makes me regret what I'm about to do.

  I try to say something. and then the world turns upside down.

  Wait.

  No.

  Not the World.

  I see so much that it takes my brain a second to catch up.

  There, standing over a headless woman is a man. He's humanoid in everything except his arms and a third leg (Yes an actual third leg, not an innuendo). His eyes lock onto mine and he smiles, it's cruel and malicious. It reminded me of a politician.

  Then all the pain hit me at once. about 15 seconds later.

  My neck.

  Why did it-

  Oh.

  That headless corpse.

  That headless me.

  I had died a futile death again.

  I couldn't even scream as the pain carried on growing and growing.

  I could hear though. Echoing inside my head was his final words to me, right before I blacked out.

  Goodbye you fascinating little thing.